Prong cap for snap fasteners



April 21, 1953 H. J. REITER PRONG CAP FOR SNAP FASTENERS Filed June 9,1948 INVENTOR. HAROLD JREITER AT URN Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,635,316 7 I PRONG CAP FOR SNAP FASTENERS HaroldJ. Reiter, Chicago, 111, Application June 9, 1948, Serial him-31,990

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-216,)

The invention relates to improvements in caps for snap fasteners andmore particularly to an ship and the fabrication of the component parts,

of an ornamental cap used to attach male and female snap fastener partsto a supporting sheet. Theinvention embodies improvements in thestructure and method of fabricating caps of-the general type disclosedand claimed, for example,- in my U. S. patents, No. D. 133,348, grantedAugust 11, 1942, and No. 2,332,167, granted October 19, 1943. Althougheach type of pierced. cap disclosed in said prior patents embodiescertain features especially adapting it for specific uses, actual usehas disclosed certain limitations in general use andstructuraldeficiencies.

By wayof explanation, it should be noted that pronged caps of the kindshown in Patent No. D. 133,348, embody no means for efficient coveringand concealing of the prong piercings. Also, and more important, themethod practiced for piercing the prongs from the center portion of theprior art cap has limited the prong length to not greater than one-halfthe diameter of the circle along which they are attached to the capbody. The diameter of the prong circle, because its size isdetermined bythe diameter of a prong receiving clinching channel in a standard socketor stud part, cannot be increased to increase the prong length. As aresult of this situation, the use of such caps is limited to fastenerinstallations on supporting sheets having a maximum thicknessconsiderably less than the possible prong length. To use for mountingfastener parts on excessively thick sheets, or on layers of sheets,would result in, improper and insecure installation of the parts andultimate tearing out of the installation.

The practical objection to prong of limited lengthas taught by thedesign patent discussed hereinabove is overcome by the use of a capembodying the features disclosed in my Patent No. 2,332,167, wherein theprongs are pierced out of the peripheral margin or. flange of the cap.However, fabrication of that type of long prong cap necessitates the useof excessively large blanks and resulting cost increase. This alone doesnotrender the manufacture of long prong caps impracticaLbut their use islimited because other garments in instances where the use of a 2 7 smallor an imperforate or covered catedf Caps for such purposes haveheretofore been fabricated from threepieces of material; namely, acircular pronged channel, an insert and-an ornamental covering.

The cap of the present invention is,structurally designed and fabricatedby methods and in a manner which overcomes all of the aforesaidcharacteristics, deficienciesor limitations of the prior art piercedcaps. The presence, in the improved structure herein disclosed, of anintegral sheet material central area underlying a deformable ornamentalcovering is advantageous because it avoids the need for providing aseparate reinforcing insert as is now practiced in the prior art. It istherefore an object of the invention to provide a novel method for themanufacture of, and novel. structure for, a cap for a snap fastenerinstallation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a prong; cap with novelmeans for securing a I simple and expeditious covering thereover in amanner.

Another objectis to provide a prong cap with prongs pierced out of thecenter area thereof and arranged in a circle or predetermined diameterand wherein the prongs are of a length greater than the ultimate lengthof the piercin s from which they are drawn.

Another object is to provide a prong cap with a perforate dome portionor central area surrounded by. prongs pierced therefrom and of aj lengthgreater than one-half the diameter of said portion or'area.

Another object is to provide a two piece prong cap in which theattaching prongs are struck out of one of the parts and both parts aresecurely joined and suitably domed.

Another object is to provide a prong cap of the character described andin which the outside (ii-.-

mensions of the cap are maintained at a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Other and furtherobjects of the invention will i become apparent as the descriptionproceeds.

having reference. to the accompanying drawing 7 which discloses severalembodiments of the pres- H 1 ent invention and the method offabrication.

at is indi- In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal central sectional detail view of a fastenerinstallation embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of a circular blank used in fabricating the fastenercap.

Fig. 3 is a central sectional detail view of the blank after partialformation, showing representations of the forming tools engagedtherewith.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the blank after the prongshave been pierced and struck out of the body thereof.

Fig. 5 is a central sectional view of the blank partially formed andwith the covering sheet in place thereover.

Fig. 6 is a central sectional view illustrating the final step infabricating the cap shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a plan view of the finished cap.

Fig. 8 is a central sectional view of a cap embodying modified featuresof construction.

Fig. 9 is a central sectional view of the partially formed body used inthe cap shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. '10 is a central sectional view of a perforated pronged capfabricated according to the teachings of the present invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to the form ofprong cap shown in Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, the cap II is of the kindused to secure the male and female elements of a snap fastener assemblyto a sheet or strip of material. The snap fastener assembly, generally,is conventional and it includes a socket part I2 is adapted to separablyreceive a stud part (not shown) mounted on another sheet or strip ofmaterial. In the present disclosure, the socket part I 2 is circular inoutline and is formed on its peripheral edge with an inwardly openingcircular channel l3 defined in part by an inturned marginal flange I4. Acentrally located resilient socket I5 is provided to receive the studelement when the fastener is assembled in use. The socket part I2 isattached to one face of a sheet I 6 by means of the pronged cap Hembodying the features of the present invention.

The cap II features a circular formed body I1 of sheet material, such asbrass, steel or a combination of non-precious or precious metals, havingcircular central area I8 and a circular inturned flange I9. The body I!preferably is of a diameter corresponding substantially to the diameterof the socket part I2 although it should be understood that it may belarger or smaller and may be other than circular in outline. A pluralityof attaching prongs 2| are struck out of the central area I8substantially at right angles to the plane of the body I 1. These prongsare integral with the body on the perimeter of the central area l8 whichcorresponds substantially to the circle of the socket channel I3.

To assemble a cap and socket part on the sheet material l6, the cap isplaced with its prongs 2| against the side of the sheet opposite to theside carrying, and in axial alignment with, the socket part. Pressurethen is applied to force the prongs through the sheet and into thechannel I3 wherein they are curled outwardly to firmly clinch the partstogether and to thesheet. Such clinching causes the sheet to be clampedfirmly between the socket flange I4 and the peripheral area of the cap.

Installation of fasteners having pierced attaching caps on certain typesof garments is objectionable from the standpoint of appeart ance.Obviously, a smooth surfaced ornamented cap will materially enhance theattractiveness of an installation, consequently it has long been thepreferred practice in certain installations, to use caps havingimperforated exposed surfaces.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a thin sheetcovering for the pierced or perforated cap. The sheet covering, shown at22, may consist of a circular blank of pliable material such as a sheetcomposed of pyroxylin and camphor (commonly known as celluloid) or ofplastics; or it may even consist of a thin sheet of precious orsemi-precious metals. The blank 22 is held in place on the cap body asby having its peripheral margin securely clamped beneath the inturnedflange I 9.

It might be noted at this time that sheets of celluloid and like pliablematerial have been used as covering for button-type caps but in knowninstances of such .use the center area of the covering is not supportedor is supported by a separate stiff insert held in place, with'thecovering sheet, by a channel ring embracing their peripheral margins.Such supporting of the central area is advisable to prevent the collapseof the thin covering downwardly under external pressure. Also,unsupported pliable covering sheets may separate from the channel ringif flexed sufliciently to disengage only a portion of its periphery frombeneath the retaining flange.

Thus applicant has provided a. two piece pronged cap having a pliablecovering sheet and integral means in the form of a perforated centerarea underlying said sheet to prevent collapse or separation of thecovering sheet from the body.

Reinforcement of the center area of the covering sheet also affordsmeans whereby the center area of the cap may be domed upwardly so as toprovide and maintain suflicient clearance at the inner end of the socketI5 to admit the associated stud part a distance necessary to effectfrictional engagement between the socket and stud. Such clearance isafforded by pressing and doming the central area of the cap bodyupwardly after the covering has been secured in place, although it maybe effected prior to affixing the covering sheet.

The method best adapted for the fabrication of the covering and body ofthe two piece reinforced prong cap having the structural characteristicsdescribed hereinabove includes the prefabrication of the circular bodymember I! which, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is formed from a circularblank of stiff sheet material 23.

member I1 is illustrated in Fig. 4, where the dished area 26 has beenpierced so as to provide a plurality (five shown) of circumferentiallyspaced pointed piercing prongs 2| which are bent out of the plane of thedished area along a circular line corresponding to the circle of thesocket channel or other element with which I they are to be ultimatelyassociated.

The circular blank or disc 23 then is engaged by suitable male Dishingand piercing the disk constitute important steps in the fabrication ofthe cap of the present invention. Dishing the center area of the diskincreases its surface area proportionally to the amount of dishing.Thus, any prongs pierced out of the dished area have a length greaterthan the length of a prong pierced out of a flat area of like outsidediameter. As a result, the body portion of applicants novel cap hasprongs pierced out of the central area which are of a length greaterthan one-half of the diam eter of such area. The completed cap,therefore, distinguishes over prior centrally perforated caps by thepresence of longer prongs and from marginally perforated caps by thesavin in material and reduction in cap size.

After the prongs have been pierced and bent out of the plane of thedished disk, the perforated dished area 26 is, as shown in Fig. 5,pressed upwardly into the plane of the clamped marginal area. Thecircular covering sheet 22 is laid over the flattened cap blank and, asshown in Fig. 5, the circular flange I9 is folded inwardly downwardlytightly over its marginal area. Doming of the central area of thecovered cap then is accomplished by clamping the circular flanged edgeof the cap firmly, as between circular tools 2! (Fig. 6) and deformingthe central unclamped area upwardly as indicated by the arrow. Clampingof the circular flanged margin as aforesaid holds the covering sheetfirmly and prevents its marginal edge from being pulled out during thedoming operation.

It will be obvious that applicant has provided a smooth surfacedornamental two piece long pronged cap, adequately reinforced within thecentral domed area, with a minimum of automatic machine operations.Conventional practices of automatically feeding the parts to the varioustools may, of course, be employed.

The long pronged cap shown in Figs. 8 and 9 embodies a circular bodymember Ila fabricated in the manner and by the steps of the methodpreviously described, except that the step of final doming iseliminated. In this type of cap, the prongs 2| likewise are piercedwhile the central area of the body is dished, as shown in Fig. 8,whereupon the dished perforated central area i6 is returned to the planeof the circular margin. ornamentation is provided this cap in the formof a circular piece SI of pearl, bone, leather, wood, metal, plastic orother suitable material which may be of such thickness as to require itscircular margin to be reduced so as to receive thereover the inwardlyturned retaining flange l9a without excessive overall marginalthickness. Because of the rigidity of the circular piece 3!, theperforated center area i 8 of the body lia may be removed after thepiercing instead of being flattened, as aforesaid.

Fig. 10 shows a one piece prong cap having a perforated dome 32 and animperforated flange 33. This cap differs from the cap shown in my priorPatent No. D. 133,348, in that the prongs are of a length greater thanone-half the diameter of the domed portion. This increased length is, ofcourse, likewise obtained by initially dishing the center area of thecircular blank, while its margin is held, as indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 10.

It might be observed at this time that the fabrication of a cap havinglon prongs as disclosed herein necessarily requires that the blank bedished on its upper face so that any burrs appearing on the edges of thepiercings will be on the bottom or normally concealed face. Such burrsappearing on the top face of the cap shown in Fig. 10 would be highlyobjectionable and an added and objectionable step of tumbling would berequired in fabrication. Likewise, burrs appearing on the top face ofthe body covered with the sheet of pliable material or the pearl wouldprevent the covering piece from lying flat. Tumbling to remove suchburrs is of course objectionable not only from the standpoint ofincreased cost but because of the possibility of the pointed prongsscratching the ultimately exposed surfaces of other caps during thetumbling process.

Although exemplary forms of the invention have been disclosed in theaccompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoingspecification, it should. be understood that the invention is concernedwith the fabrication of a pronged cap having long prongs pierced from anarea normally of such size as to prevent the formation of such longprongs and to the novel structure and steps of the method of fabricatingornamental pronged caps from a minimum number of pieces and at low cost;and that the invention may embody modifications in detail withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A cap for a snap fastener comprising a plate having a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced triangular-shaped openings arranged in a circlewith their apexes terminating short of the axis of said circle, amarginal flange surrounding the perforated area, a plurality of piercingprongs extending perpendicular to and from one side of the plate, saidprongs being integral with the plate, one at the base of each triangleand each being of a length greater than the height of the relatedtriangle, and said perforated area being domed to protrude on the otherside of the plate.

2. A cap for a snap fastener comprising a plate having a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced triangular-shaped openings arranged in a circlewith their apexes terminating short of the axis of said circle, aplurality of piercing prongs extending perpendicular to and from oneside of the plate, said prongs being integral with the plate, one at thebase of each triangle and each being of a length greater than the heightof the related triangle, and said perforated area being domed toprotrude on the other side of the plate.

HAROLD J. REITER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 523,547 Ridgway July 24, 1894 757,744 l-Iornich Apr. 19, 19041,451,429 Lontz Apr. 10, 1923 1,842,386 Carr Jan. 26, 1932 2,080,379Reiter May 11, 1937 2,212,361 Arthur Aug. 20, 1940 2,327,554 PurintonAug. 24, 1943 2,402,628 Huelster June 25, 1946

